


Curry party at Leblanc feat. Akechi

by koropendora



Series: Attachment [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Awkwardness, Fluff, Gen, Post-Game(s), friends dont let friends build their walls back up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 04:10:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11615583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koropendora/pseuds/koropendora
Summary: "I'm truly thankful that you've allowed me back into the chat."And in your livesgoes unsaid, but he's sure Futaba heard it anyway. "It's just... odd, joining in on your casual conversations. I don't quite feel--""You're allowed to." She cuts him off, stealing the words from his mouth. "I'm not gonna lie, Akechi, it's weird for me too. But I'm trying. We all are. It would probably help if you tried too, though."Goro expected a quiet afternoon in Leblanc, but Futaba got other ideas he was powerless to fight against.





	Curry party at Leblanc feat. Akechi

**Author's Note:**

> I have never written a fic this quickly or this easily, goddamn. also written n edited entirely on my phone at 2am so there may be a couple of typos or capitalization I missed
> 
> so. vague alt ending where Akechi comes back (personally I like to imagine MC finding him in a cell during the velvet room sequence on christmas eve but it's irrelevant for this fic)

The front door of Leblanc swings violently open, its normally pleasant chime loud and broken up by momentum instead. The moment she steps inside, Futaba is already shouting and disrupting the atmosphere; in her defense, the middle of the afternoon in a warm Saturday was usually the time where the little back street café had the least costumers - which is to say none at all.

Her voice rings out cheerfully, "Sojiro, I hunger! I want curry!"

But it's two, not one, sets of eyes that look up at her. One behind the counter, one eyebrow cocked in reprimand; the other, sitting on the stool next to the bright yellow payphone, reddish-brown irises wide in surprise.

"Ah, Akechi..." She mutters, suddenly feeling awkward for intruding in her own father's workplace. "I didn't expect you'd be here."

"I certainly didn't expect you to kick down the door, either." He gives a chuckle, more of confusion than any real mirth.

"Futaba, no need to yell at me. What if I had customers?" Sojiro admonishes with absolutely no bite, breaking the strange atmosphere between the teens as attention turns to him. Futaba almost questions if Goro doesn't count, but of course he isn't a normal customer. "You know there's always curry when you get back from school."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She grumbles out, taking a seat by the counter, leaving one seat between her and the brunette. She knows they both enjoy their personal space too much to be offended by the gesture. "So where is it!?"

"Coming up, your highness." There is laughter behind Sojiro's words, and he mocks a bow in her direction.

As the barmaster busies himself, Goro clears his throat. "I assume you've enrolled in Shujin, unless that uniform is stolen. How is school? Have you been adapting well?"

Futaba hums thoughtfully. "It's still kinda hard, honestly. Some of the teachers are really rough and there's too many classmates... But it's not so bad with Ryuji and Ann- _senpai_ to help me." She adds with humor, and sees Goro let a tiny smile slip out. "Oh, and there's Iwai-kun too. He's a riot."

"Oh, the son of the airsoft shop's owner, correct?" She nods at him. "I'm glad you have people to support you. High school is already intimidating enough without... well." He figures there's no need to elaborate on her circumstances, but the words unsaid hang just as heavily between them.

_It's still hard_ , indeed.

There's a quiet moment, not quite comfortable, but not exactly _un_ comfortable, either. It's the kind of thing they'd both gotten used to, with how much history there is between them. But soon enough, the moment is broken by a plate being set in front of each of them, Sojiro's "eat up" almost lost in the sound of porcelain meeting wood.

Goro blinks at him, caught off guard. "I didn't order..."

"Shut up and eat. We both know you don't feed yourself as often as you should." His _fatherly_ tone leaves no place for debate, so Goro sheepishly picks up his spoon with a nod. "Plus, it's just lonely watching Futaba eat by herself every day."

_By herself_. The implication squeezes tightly around Goro's heart. He wonders which of the Sakuras misses him the most. "Speaking of... How has your brother been?"

Futaba has to stop shoveling rice into her mouth before she can respond, but shows no surprise at being called his sister. Of course. "Fine, I think? Just today he kept whining at me to go help him unpack, but he's just going to pack it all back up at the end of the year anyway." Her smile is somewhere between fond and impish, the absolute certainty that he'd be back as soon as he could giving her voice a cocky edge. A beat, and she pouts in Goro's direction, "You do know you can just text him, right? He's in the group chat, like, all the time, too." She continues even as Goro opens his mouth to respond, pratically shoving her phone's screen into his face. "And don't tell me you haven't received or read them! The little _Seen by Everyone_ ticker gives your lurker habits away. Once or twice I've even seen you typing! "

"Ahaha... Caught in the act by your incredible technological skills, as always." He pulls back and stares into his curry, as if trying to find his words in the apple slices. "I'm truly thankful that you've allowed me back into the chat." _And in your lives_ goes unsaid, but he's sure Futaba heard it anyway. "It's just... odd, joining in on your casual conversations. I don't quite feel--"

"You're allowed to." She cuts him off, stealing the words from his mouth. "I'm not gonna lie, Akechi, it's weird for me too. But I'm trying. We all are. It would probably help if _you_ tried too, though." She shoves another spoonful in her mouth, mumbling around it, "And he'd probably like if you talked to him. Just a guess."

It takes him a moment, but Goro sighs, some but not all tension leaving his body with it. "You're right; I know you are. It's... not fair for me to keep running away when you're all trying to face it." He nods, with some degree of confidence. "Very well. I can't promise anything right away, but I'll try to join in more often. It's the least I could do..."

He drifts off as his phone pings, a tone he'd reserved for the ex-Phantom Thieves group. Across from him, Futaba already has her nose in her own phone, and the reason is clear once he brings up the message.

**Oracle:**  curry party at leblanc feat. akechi come crash it

His eyebrows shoot up, looking back at Futaba with a mix of shock and betrayal. He's about to confront her when his phone starts flooding with messages.

**Panther:** For real?

**Oracle:** yup just lemme know and i'll have boss get a plate ready 4 u

**Oracle:** feel free to bring snacks tho i'm too lazy to go back home to get any

**Joker:** On my way.

**Panther:** You wish!

**Queen:** I'm still in class, but I'll drop by if you're still around by the time I get out.

**Panther:** Well, I'll be there as soon as I'm done with this shoot!

**Noir:** I'm busy as well but I can try to slip out of this meeting if everyone else is going!

**Fox:** I would love to join. Please do let Boss know I will be attending.

**Joker:** Morgana says pics or it didn't happen.

**Skull:** seriously, even if akechi's around now there's no way he's still gonna be around when any of us get there

**Skull:** futaba ask boss if he needs me to bring my own bottle

Watching the conversation unfold in his screen, Goro can feel the gears in his head turning. It's conflicting, the fight or flight instinct too strong to ignore, but there's some warmth in knowing they would still be willing to join in even if he was present. As Futaba leans over the counter to ask Sojiro if there's any soda in the fridge for Ryuji, his head snaps up with an idea that he impulsively acts on.

The sound of his camera's shutter comes too fast for Futaba to react. (Sojiro grumbles something about _phones at the table_ , but he hasn't been as demanding about it since the school year started; he understands how hard it can be to get the team together when half of it is in college and their leader is across the country.)

**Crow:** (Attachment: 2017-05-XX_001.jpg)

**Crow:** Tell Morgana it most certainly happened.

**Noir:** !!!

**Oracle:** HOW COULD U

**Skull:** holy shit

**Joker:** lol Futaba you look like a nerd.

**Panther:** You only noticed now?

**Oracle:** i am so blocking you guys

**Skull:** i cannot believe this

**Fox:** I must admit, I doubted the validity of Futaba's claims for a moment. However, it appears she was being truthful.

**Queen:** Well then, seems like I'm going to have to slip out of my classes as well.

**Panther:** Makoto noooo!

**Joker:** Wow, we ruined her.

**Crow:** Oh, please do not ruin your studies for me.

**Crow:** I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to meet up in the future.

**Queen:** Don't worry, it's just a complementary class. It's not like I'm on probation like you.

**Queen:** Plus, I'll have to see it with my own eyes.

**Noir:** Success! Wrapped up with time to spare!

**Noir:**  I'll be there soon!

**Skull:** hell yea!!

**Joker:** You guys have fun. Without me.

**Joker:** I'll be here enjoying my convenience store dinner. By myself.

**Panther:** Where's Morgana???

**Joker:** As if that's much better.

**Oracle:** if u take the train now u can still make it here by bedtime

**Joker:** Morgana would end me.

**Joker:** But seriously. Enjoy the curry for me.

**Joker:** And tell Boss I love him.

**Oracle:** would u rather boss kill u instead???

**Joker:** I guess just tell him I miss him then.

With the conversation dying down, Goro finds it in himself to watch his surroundings again. His plate is nearly empty, having mindlessly eaten most of it as he watched the chat, and Futaba... Is smirking at him from atop her cellphone. He can almost hear her giggling mischievously in his mind. He tries to hide the fond smile that had sneaked it's way into his features in the past 10 minutes, but he's sure both Sakuras have already caught it by now.

"Look at you, playing along for once!" She exclaims once she realizes she has his attention. "Didn't think you had it in you! I just wanted to fluster you, honestly. Then you went and got a candid posted for the whole team to see."

"Consider it a success, then, because you did get me flustered for a moment." Goro replies, still flustered. Futaba's grin tells him she knows that. "But thank you. If you hadn't sent that, I would... have taken much longer to make an attempt."

"No problemo!" She gives him a little salute, and follows with a knowing tone, "I figured you needed a little push. Sometimes, that's what it takes. By the way, I _will_ get revenge for that extremely unflattering picture." Goro feels a shiver run down his spine. Perhaps he did not calculate the repercussions of his impulsive photography. "Anyway, Sojiro! Can we use the attic once everyone's here?"

For a moment, Goro just watches. Watches as more messages occasionally pop up, as Futaba runs poor Sojiro ragged with demands for her impromptu reunion, as a little bit more of his world cracks and breaks open, just enough to let the warm almost-summer air in.

If Futaba is trying, if the whole team is trying, then he will try too.

**Crow:** See you later.

**Author's Note:**

> left MC unnamed because my preferred name for him (Kaito) isn't the one most people use so I'd rather leave it in a way everyone can enjoy
> 
> I wish there was more fic of postgame akechi having awkward but heartfelt interactions with the PT, specially futaba and haru;;;;


End file.
